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Queens Logic is a 1991 American ensemble coming-of-age comedy-drama film from Seven Arts Pictures starring Kevin Bacon, Linda Fiorentino, Joe Mantegna, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Malkovich, Ken Olin, Chloe Webb and Tom Waits. It was directed by Steve Rash.
Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote that the film "fans the flames of its characters' dissatisfaction only to put them out again, which makes it more tidily circular than surprising"; she did, however, commend the "big and eminently watchable cast, brought together for ceaseless partying and clowning". Roger Ebert gave it two-and-a-half stars, compared it to a number of other coming-of-age films and those set in the Brooklyn-Queens area, and remarked that "the screenplay by Tony Spiridakis introduces a large gallery of characters in no apparent order and then moves casually among their stories". He and Gene Siskel both gave it thumbs down on their television series; Gene felt it was too purposelessly overloaded with stereotypes for its own good.
Michael Wilmington took a negative view of the film in the Los Angeles Times, stating:
Jonathan Rosenbaum of the Chicago Reader said of the film,
Time Out magazine wrote a sharply critical review of the film, calling it "yet another post- Big Chill way-we-were movie: a bunch of buddies hang out remembering the good times, the bad times, the godawful records. Steve Rash handles the slightly diffuse business with sensitivity, but the film coasts mainly on the acting. Mantegna stands out for sheer bravado; Chloe Webb just about contrives to steal the show with a lipful of feistiness. But, as usual, it's really a boys' film, about leering, beering and losing your swim-shorts, and for straight boozy larking, Hangin' with the Homeboys has it licked by a mile."
Later, it was reevaluated and received some praise from online critics. Although Ted Baehr's MovieGuide website objected to the film's view of homosexuality, he did say "the picture is quite well-acted." Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat of the website Spirituality & Practice called the film "a deft snapshot of men who cannot unravel the mystery of women or free themselves from the male bonding of their adolescence." Doc Ezra of the website Need Coffee praised the film immensely, but criticized Artisan Entertainment for not providing a widescreen transfer of the film on its DVD release.
Christine Spagnuolo, an intern at the Queens Chronicle, lauded the film in a June 24, 2015 essay, praising the multi-borough scope of the film's shooting locations, and adding that "well-known actors such as Kevin Bacon and Jamie Lee Curtis embodied the characteristics of nitty-gritty, ordinary people and a realistic Queens attitude that most people who grew up in the area are able to relate to."
Queens Logic was filmed in the summer of 1989, but didn't get released until February 1991. Although released theatrically in the US, Queens Logic was released direct-to-video in the UK.
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